This invention relates generally to coupling devices and more particularly to resilient means for drivingly connecting cooperating rotary elements of such devices.
Coupling devices of the present type are widely used for the transmission of power in heavy duty vehicles and other industrial systems. These coupling devices generally include a driving member adapted to be driven by a prime mover and a driven member adapted to transmit torque to another member such as a drive shaft. Means such as coil springs resiliently and drivingly connecting the driving and driven members are usually incorporated into these coupling devices to absorb or prevent shocks and vibrations.
Increases in size and power of prime movers, such as diesel engines utilized in heavy duty trucks, have caused the associated drive train torque loads to increase proportionately. Coupling devices of the present type having conventional means for resiliently and drivingly coupling components thereof have not proved to be entirely satisfactory in absorbing the torsional and vibratory loads produced by modern engines.
Various alternatives have been proposed in an attempt to alleviate these problems. For example, heavy duty clutches for trucks have been provided with several sets of coil springs capable of acting in parallel or in series. Also, several types spring configurations have heretofore been proposed but none has proved to be entirely satisfactory.